Rotation Pose with Legs to the Right

How to do Rotation Pose with Legs to the Right

1. 1Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and the soles of your feet resting flat on your mat.
2. 2Extend your arms out to the sides in a T-shape at shoulder height with your palms facing up toward the ceiling.
3. 3Press lightly into your feet to lift your hips, shift them one inch to the left, and set them back down.
4. 4Draw both knees toward your chest, keeping your thighs at roughly a ninety-degree angle to your torso.
5. 5Exhale slowly as you lower both knees together down to the floor on your right side.
6. 6Turn your head gently to the left if comfortable for your neck, keeping both shoulder blades rooted to the mat.
7. 7Rest your right hand lightly on your top outer thigh to encourage relaxation without pulling or forcing.
8. 8Hold for five to ten steady breaths before gently drawing your knees back to center.

Benefits

• Releases muscular tightness in the lumbar spine and outer hips.
• Gently opens the chest, anterior shoulders, and rib cage.
• Stimulates abdominal circulation and supports natural digestive motility.
• Encourages thoracic spinal mobility and decompression between vertebrae.
• Activates the parasympathetic nervous system to relieve mental and physical fatigue.

Common mistakes and cues

• Lifting the left shoulder

  Keep the left shoulder anchored to the earth so the twist distributes evenly across your whole spine.

• Forcing knees to the floor

  Place a block under your right knee if your legs hover in space and cause strain in your lower back.

• Holding the breath

  Maintain a smooth, continuous breath rather than bracing or gripping through your abdomen.

• Pulling down with the hand

  Use your right hand only as a gentle resting weight rather than yanking the knees downward.

Modifications and props

• Block under knees

  Place a yoga block or bolster beneath your right knee to support your legs if they do not touch the floor.

• Block between knees

  Place a folded blanket or block between your inner thighs to relieve pressure across the sacroiliac joint.

• Cactus arms

  Bend your elbows to ninety degrees in a goalpost shape if shoulder tightness or limited space prevents full extension.

• Straight top leg

  Extend your top left leg straight out toward your right hand while keeping the bottom leg bent for a deeper IT-band stretch.

Cautions

• Acute disc herniation

  Avoid deep twists or keep the knees well supported on props if you are recovering from an active lumbar disc injury.

• Sacroiliac joint irritation

  Place a block between your knees and avoid over-rotating if you feel sharp localized pain at the back of your pelvis.

• Neck sensitivity

  Keep your gaze neutral and looking straight up at the ceiling if turning your head to the left causes discomfort.

If you are working with an injury, pregnancy or a medical condition, check with a qualified professional before practising this pose.

Practise this for

Classes that teach this pose

Upcoming Hatha classes where this shape shows up.

Teachers and studios for this practice

Related poses